Anna Bottoms is currently a library assistant at the Lawrence County Public Library. She is married, and her husband is a middle-school science teacher. Growing up, Anna loved science but was absolutely terrified of math; this became a years-long struggle for her. As a young adult, Anna was diagnosed with multiple disabilities, including a learning disability in math. She finally received accommodations and went on to graduate magna cum laude from the University of North Alabama with two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Because of her struggles, Anna is passionate about sharing knowledge and resources with people in her community and loves that her job at the library allows her to do this. Anna is honored to have been a part of a NASA-sponsored program. 

Marie Brennan is currently the Assistant Director at the Lawrence County Public Library. She took a round-about way to librarianship. She used her G.I. Bill from the Air Force and some student loans to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering after which she worked for General Dynamics-Electric Boat in Connecticut as a structural engineer before deciding to homeschool her children. While homeschooling her sons she started a career as a freelance photo journalist working for a local paper in Connecticut. In 2014 she and her husband decided to move to Lawrenceburg. She continued homeschooling until she found an advertisement in the Advocate for a part-time assistant librarian. She has been working at the library for 6 years and finds it fun, challenging and a great way to help people in the community. She is married to a wonderful man and has four sons ranging in age from 33-18, two of whom graduated from Lawrence County High School. 

Education & Outreach Scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute

Dr. Martha Irene Saladino obtained her PhD in Astrophysics at Radboud University in the Netherlands, where she developed numerical simulations of evolved Sun-like double stars. Her passions are to make scientific content accessible to non-English speaking audiences, engage underrepresented groups in science, make visible the work of underrepresented groups in science, and show the diversity of people in astronomy as a means to create role models.

Brenda J. Stanley is the library director of the Enosburgh Public Library in Enosburg, Vermont. This “mid-sized” town of just under 3,000 residents is five minutes south of the Canadian border. Brenda received the Vermont Public Library Certification in 2003 and has been the director of Enosburgh for nine years. 

Meghan Tanner is a dedicated Science and Makerspace Educator at Discovery Space & The Rivet in State College, Pennsylvania. She earned her undergraduate degree in Physics from Lock Haven University and completed her Master’s in Physics at Penn State University. On the makerspace side, The Rivet, Meghan focuses on 3D modeling and printing for all ages as well as planning youth classes and workshops. Meghan is particularly passionate about creating a safe and inclusive space for students in underrepresented groups, striving to make STEAM accessible to all. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, board games—including Dungeons & Dragons—and spending time with her beloved dog, Olenna.